By Public Policy Chair

Marilyn Treiman

halamari1@juno.com
Text Box: Public Policy Text Box: Volume 29, Number 10 June/July, 2009 Page # Text Box: AAUW Applauds White House Council on Women and Girls President Obama signed an executive order formally establishing the White House Council on Women and Girls. In a signing ceremony in the East Room, which was attended by AAUW's Executive Director Linda Hallman, the President spoke before leaders of his Cabinet, executive branch agencies, and leaders of women's rights groups. The Council's mission will be grounded in legislation, policies, and research, but its over-arching goal will be inspirational: "to ensure that our daughters and granddaughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements -- and that they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers never dreamed of."   The creation of such a council was an idea long-championed by AAUW. In December, AAUW spearheaded a letter to the Obama transition team requesting that the new administration restore and strengthen Text Box: all offices that in past administrations have played a fundamental role in protecting and advancing women's issues and opportunities.  The creation of the Council is the first step in reestablishing critical women's programs in the executive branch. The Council will be chaired by Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor, and will include as members cabinet-level federal agencies. The Executive Director of the Council will be Tina Tchen, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House. AAUW was a participant on the Council's kick-off conference call, which was led by Ms. Jarrett and Ms. Tchen on Friday morning.   As stated in the executive order, the Council will "work across executive departments and agencies to provide a coordinated Federal response to issues that have a distinct impact on the lives of women and girls, including assisting women-owned businesses to compete internationally and working to increase the participation of women in the science, engineering, Text Box: and technology workforce, and to ensure that Federal programs and policies adequately take those impacts into account." It will meet regularly, make policy and legislative recommendations to the President, and conduct outreach to outside organizations, all of which will be focused on improving the lives and livelihoods of women and girls. Moreover, within the next five months, the Council must develop and submit to the President an interagency plan with recommendations for interagency action.   During its first year, according to a White House press release, the Council will focus on many issues that are at the core of AAUW's mission, including: strengthening women's economic security, work/life balance for working women and their families, domestic violence prevention, and improving women's health care. AAUW applauds the formation of the Council, and looks forward to working with its members on our shared priorities and vision.